Someone Who Gives A Fuck

There's a peculiar thing happening in music right now. R'n'B singers like Ciara, Cassie and Brandy can't seem to catch a break and, despite their best efforts, haven't troubled the charts for quite some time.

And yet, vocal tracks by these very same artists remain in high demand among a generation of emerging producers, who are appropriating elements of late 90s/early 00s R'n'B for futuristic dance concoctions (see: Jacques Greene, Le Youth, Follow Me).

Perhaps inevitably, we're beginning to see a new wave of artists emerge producing music that owes a debt to R'n'B's Timbaland-helmed heyday but also embraces up-to-the-minute production. Los Angeles singer Kelela is one such artist.

Her debut mixtape 'Cut 4 Me' is available free from Kingdom's Fade To Mind imprint. Established beatmakers Bok Bok, Nguzunguzu and Kingdom himself bring their respective A-games to the table but, a few tracks in, it's clear that Kelela's running the show.

Her 'light-touch' vocals certainly have more in common with the likes of Aaliyah, Kelis and Cassie than today's crop of chart-toppers and, over the course of the mixtape's 13 tracks, she showcases remarkable versatility and range.

From the spiky sass of 'Enemy' to feather-light slow-burner 'Cherry Coffee', 'Cut 4 Me' is the sound of a bright new talent making her presence felt.

Dowload the mixtape for free here:

When There Are No More Walls To Climb

Heathers' album 'Kingdom' was one of my favourite Irish releases of 2012. Expanding on the harmonies-and-acoustic-guitar formula that worked so well on their debut, the girls incorporated synths, strings and percussion into the mix for a fuller pop sound.

They may have risked alienating their folk fanbase but the strategy paid off in spades, with the album spawning the anthemic radio hit 'Forget Me Knots' and earning the Blackrock twins a Choice Prize nomination (Ireland's answer to the Mercury or Polaris).

Now, with a national headline tour under their belts, they return with the moody new single 'Lions, Tigers, Bears' and a windswept video to boot (in parts reminiscent of All Saints' 'Pure Shores'.)